Let Down the Walls
by Misha
Summary: Chloe and Shawn form a close friendship as Chloe begins to break down the walls she built around herself, but will Phillip and his jealousy break them apart or bring them closer together? Finished
1. Part One

Let Down the Walls   
By Misha 

_Author's Notes- Yes, another story and again, it's a Shloe fic. But unlike my others, this one isn't an AU, it's based on the current show. You'll understand as soon as you read it. As I stated this is a Shloe fic, but it also contains some Phloe and a little bit of Shelle. Also, Phillip fans be warned, he's not going to be portrayed in the best light as his character really bugs me now with his insane jealousy. I'm going to focus on that a little bit, you'll see. This fic is also going to explore a different side of Chloe than the one we see on the show. And while this is a Shloe romance, their friendship is also going to play a major part. I'm not going to rush them into a romantic relationship, I'm going to explore all the aspects of their relationship and characters first. Oh, one last thing, J.T has been found and he's back with Bo and Hope. But they don't know yet that he's not really their son. Anyway, that's all for now, enjoy!_

**Part One**

Chloe heard the knock on the door and sighed. 

_Who could it be?_ She wondered, putting down her book to go answer it. 

She really was puzzled as to it who could be. It was too late for it to be Belle, besides they had spent most of the afternoon together. Phillip never came to the door, so it probably wasn't him, and very few other people visited her. 

She knew it was probably for Nancy and Craig, who were at the hospital, but she decided to answer it any. 

To her surprise on the other side was Shawn. He looked horrible, as if his best friend had just died. 

"Shawn!" She exclaimed in surprise, then she began to fear the worst. "It's not Phillip, is it?" 

Shawn shook his head. "No, Phil's fine and so's Belle. Do you mind if I come in?" 

"No, of course not." Chloe told him, moving aside so that he could enter. "What's wrong?" 

"Can we talk somewhere else, somewhere private?" Shawn asked. 

"Nancy and Craig aren't home, so we should be fine here." Chloe told him. "But if you're afraid that they'll come home and interrupt, we can go up to my room." 

"That would be great." Shawn told her. 

She nodded and they both got up. 

Normally, Chloe wouldn't have invited him into her bedroom, but... There was something in his eyes that bothered her and made her want to reach out for him. She couldn't explain it, but she felt like she needed to be there for him. And if he wanted to talk in private, so be it. 

Once they got to the bedroom, Chloe sat down on the bed and motioned for Shawn to sit down beside her. 

"What's wrong?" She asked again, when he was sitting. 

"Everything." Shawn told her, with a bitter laugh. "You wouldn't believe what I learnt today." 

"What?" Chloe asked softly. "You can tell me." 

Shawn was silent for a moment. "Do you promise not to tell anyone else?" 

Chloe nodded, alarmed by the seriousness of his voice. What could be wrong? 

"My Dad's not J.T's father, Belle's Dad is." 

Chloe stared at him. "What?" 

"I know." Shawn said quietly. "I heard my Mom and Dad talking about it. My Dad just found out. But Mom... She's known for months and she hasn't said anything. She kept on lying to us!" 

"Oh Shawn." Chloe whispered, knowing how much that revelation must have hurt him. He worshipped his parents and to learn that his mother had lied to him about something so important must have shook his faith in them severely. "Did you talk to her?" 

"No." Shawn told her. "I was too angry at her. I still am. How could she lie to us like that?" 

"I don't know." Chloe said quietly. "I don't understand it. But maybe there's more to it than we know. You'll have to talk to your mother." 

"I know, but I can't. Not yet." Shawn said softly. "I can't even think about her without getting angry." 

Chloe didn't know what to say. She wasn't good at comforting people. She wasn't Belle. She just wasn't good at relating to people, at making them feel better. 

But she understood why Shawn hadn't gone to Belle, after all how he was supposed to explain that they now shared a sibling? That would only be a little weird. 

"Shawn." Chloe said quietly. "It's okay to be angry, I mean, who wouldn't be? But... You can't **just** be angry if you are, you'll never get past it. You have to try and understand why your mother did what she did." 

"I know." Shawn said quietly. "But it's so hard." 

Before Chloe could say anything, Shawn smiled. "Thanks for listening to be, Chloe." 

"You're welcome." She told him. "I just wish I could have been more of a help." 

"You listened, that's enough." Shawn told her. "But do you mind if I stay here a while longer? I don't want to go home yet." 

"Of course you can stay." Chloe told him, surprised. "You can stay as long as you like." 

Shawn smiled. "Thanks." 

Chloe got up from her place on the bed. "Do you want to listen to some music?" She asked, then she smiled. "And I don't mean opera music, how about some rock and roll?" 

Shawn stared at her. "Rock and roll? Since when do you listen to rock music?" 

"Modern stuff? I don't, not really. Well, I'm starting to. Some of it's pretty good, but others... Eh, it's not really my style. But I love old rock, like stuff from the 60's and 70's." Chloe confided. "Just don't tell anyone, it'll ruin my image as the opera-loving freak." 

Shawn laughed. "I won't. So what do you have?" 

Chloe pointed him towards her CD's and tapes. 

Shawn looked through them, surprised by what he found. Chloe had pretty good taste in music. He found a Rolling Stones CD and put it in the CD player. 

The first song to come on, was "Paint It Black". 

_I see a red door and I want it painted black   
No colours anymore, I want them to turn back   
I see the girls walk by dressed in their summer clothes   
I have to turn my head until my darkness goes_

"Oh, I love this song." Chloe said with a smile. 

"I can see why." Shawn said with a laugh. 

Chloe laughed as well. "Yeah, well for a while, I really related with the song. But you have to admit it's a classic." 

"Definitely." Shawn told her. "But I didn't know that you felt the same." 

"Oh, yeah. I love the Stones." Chloe told him. "When I was a little girl, my adopted father used to play them a lot. This kind of music represents a lot of happy times in my life." 

"I never knew that." Shawn said softly. 

"No one does." Chloe told him. "Not even Phillip. I don't know, usually when I listen to this kind of music it's private, ya know? It's like a walk down memory lane and I prefer to be by myself when I do that." 

"I understand." Shawn told her. 

Chloe smiled and turned her attention to the music. 

_I see a line of cars and they're all painted black   
With flowers and my love, both never to come back   
I see people turn their heads and quickly look away   
Like a newborn baby it just happens ev'ryday_

Shawn watched as Chloe began to sing along, seeing a whole new side of her emerge. She looked relaxed as she sang along with Mick Jagger and then to his surprise, she got up and began to dance. 

Shawn stared at her, unable to believe that this was Chloe. Where was the aloof, reserved girl he knew? Right now, she looked relaxed and carefree. 

She saw him watching her and smiled. "Come on Shawn, dance. Let the music take your mind off your problems!" She urged. 

Shawn laughed and agreed. He began moving in time to her, realising that she was right it was relaxing. 

_I look inside myself and see my heart is black   
I see my red door and I must have it painted black   
Maybe then I'll fade away and not have to face the facts   
It's not easy facing up when your whole world is black_

Chloe knew that Shawn was shocked by this side of her and she didn't blame him. It wasn't one most people saw. 

She knew she normally appeared to be kind of cold, but she couldn't help it. It was her way to stop herself from being hurt. 

But sometimes, she allowed herself to relax and be a normal girl. She just didn't let other people she that side of her. 

But now she was. She was letting Shawn see the real girl deep inside. The one who actually liked Rock and Roll and who danced in her bedroom along side The Rolling Stones. 

She didn't know why, but she felt she could trust him. Maybe because he was so down right now that she wanted to reach out to him and the only way she could do that was to let down the barriers. 

_No more will my green sea go turn a deeper blue   
I could not foresee this thing happening to you   
If I look hard enough into the setting sun   
My love will laugh with me before the morning comes_

Shawn began to sing along to the music as well, feeling some of his problems lift off his chest as he did so. 

The music had a relaxing affect on him, just like it obviously did to Chloe. She was so different when she listened to it and he suddenly realised why. 

For the first time since he had met her, Chloe had no barriers up. She was totally relaxed and open. And it was amazing. 

_I see a red door and I want it painted black   
No colours anymore I want them to turn back   
I see the girls walk by dressed in their summer clothes   
I have to turn my head until my darkness goes_ Chloe and Shawn continued to sing along, each of them being relaxed by the music. 

Suddenly, Chloe heard a familiar sound and froze. 

"What's wrong?" Shawn asked her. 

"It's Phillip." Chloe told him softly. 

Inwardly she was dreading what would happen if Phillip saw Shawn. He was so jealous lately, so possessive that she knew he wouldn't understand. He'd freak and she didn't want to deal with that right now. 

"Shawn, hide. Please. Get out of sight." Shawn looked surprised, but he did as she told, walking into her bathroom. 

As soon as he was out of sight, Chloe walked towards the window and opened it.   
* * * * *


	2. Part Two

Let Down the Walls   
By Misha 

**Part Two**

"Phillip." Chloe said as she opened the window. 

Her boyfriend grinned up at her. "Hey beautiful." 

"Phillip, what are you doing here?" Chloe asked, very aware of Shawn's presence only a few feet away from her. 

"I just wanted to see you." Phillip told her. 

"I thought you were grounded?" She asked with amusement. 

"I am, I'm out looking for Shawn. Hope called me, apparently he was upset and took off. Have you seen him?" 

"No." Chloe lied. "I haven't. But I'll let you know if I do." 

"Okay." Phillip told her, then he frowned. "Wait, are you listening to The Rolling Stones?" 

Chloe froze, suddenly remembering that she had left the CD running. She hurriedly flipped it off and then turned back to the window. 

"Yeah, I was flipping through the radio stations and that was the station that it was on when you caught my attention. I had just been about to change it." She lied, not ready to have Phillip know about her other side. 

"Oh." Phillip said. "Cool. Chloe, why don't you come with me to look for Shawn?" 

Chloe shook her head. "I can't. I have homework and besides, I promised Nancy and Craig I'd be home when they came back." 

Phillip was about to protest, but then at the last decided not to much to Chloe's relief. 

"Alright." Phillip said finally. "I'll see you tomorrow, I love you." 

"Bye Phillip." Chloe said, watching him leave in relief. 

As soon as he was out of sight she closed the window and turned towards the bathroom. 

"You can come out now." She told Shawn. 

He appeared a minute later. "Does Phillip do that often?" He asked. "Throw rocks at your window, I mean?" 

Chloe nodded. "Yeah." 

"Why did you lie?" Shawn asked suddenly. "Why did you tell Phillip that you hadn't seen me?" 

Chloe sighed. "Because I knew he'd freak and I didn't want to put up with that tonight. Phillip has a possessive, jealous side and he tends to freak out over the littlest things. If he knew you were here... I'm afraid that it would set him off." 

Shawn was silent for a moment. "Does it bug you, Phillip's jealousy?" 

"Yeah." Chloe told him. "There are times when it really gets to me, but... I can live with it." 

"I guess." Shawn said doubtfully, but he saw that Chloe was uncomfortable with the subject and decided to change it. "Why did you lie about the music?" 

"Because I'm not ready for Phillip to know about that side of me, yet." Chloe said honestly. "I'm not ready for anyone else to know about it." 

"But you showed me." Shawn protested. 

"It felt right." Chloe told him. 

"Then I'm glad. I'm glad you felt comfortable showing me the person deep inside, Lee." He told her softly. 

Chloe raised an eyebrow at him. "Lee?" 

Shawn smiled. "Yes, Lee. From now that's my name for the other you, the one I saw tonight. Lee. Chloe is who you are most of the time, Lee is who you are when you allow yourself to truly relax." 

Chloe smiled. "Okay, but why Lee? How do you get it out of 'Chloe'?" 

"I just dropped the Ch and the O, and got Lee." Shawn explained. "I mean, how do you get 'Jack' from John? I just decided that it sounded right." 

Chloe shook her head in amusement, but didn't say anything. 

Shawn took a deep breath. "I should go home." He told her. "But before I do, thank you. Thank you for being here for me and thank you for trusting me enough to put down your barriers and show me your true self, it meant a lot to me." 

Chloe just smiled. "It was my pleasure." She told him. "I'm glad that I could be here for you." 

Shawn kissed her cheek, before heading out her bedroom door and down the stairs. 

Chloe watched him go, lost it thought. It had certainly been an interesting evening.   
* * * * *


	3. Part Three

Let Down the Walls   
By Misha 

_Author's Notes- Thank you for all the feedback I got for the last two parts, it means a lot to me. And to everyone who told me that my fics had actually got them to like Shloe together, thank you! You don't know how much that means to me. Thank you again and please continue to read "Let Down the Walls". Thank you and enjoy._

**Part Three**

"Shawn!" Belle called the next morning, rushing up to him. "Where did you go last night? Your Mom called my place looking for you." 

"No where." Shawn lied. "I just wandered around." 

"Oh." Belle said. "What happened? What made you run off?" 

"I really don't want to talk about it." Shawn told her. "It's private." 

Belle was a little hurt by Shawn's attitude, but she just nodded. "Alright." 

Just then Phillip and Chloe approached them. 

"Hey, Shawn, you're mom called my place looking for you, where did you go?" Phillip asked as soon as he caught up to them. 

"Around." Shawn said, looking at Chloe. 

Belle noticed that her friend looked strange. She wondered why, but she figured that it was nothing. 

"Oh, cool." Phillip answered. 

Just then the bell rang. 

"We should get to class." Chloe said, hurrying off with Phillip following her. 

Belle smiled at Shawn. "I guess I should go too, I'll see you later." 

Shawn nodded. "Later." 

Belle smiled again and walked off, wondering why Shawn was acting so weird. 

_Well, I guess I'll find out sooner or later._ She thought as she headed to class.   
* * * * * 

"Hey." Shawn said at lunch as he walked up to Chloe who was at her locker. 

She smiled when she saw him. "Hi. How did it go with your parents last night? Did you talk to your mom?" She asked. 

Shawn shook his head. "No. But we're going to talk tonight. I just wasn't ready last night, but I guess I've got to listen to her sometime, right?" 

Chloe nodded. "Yeah. I have an idea, when your done, if you need to relax, why don't you come over to my place? Nancy and Craig are going out again, Thank God, so there's no chance of Nancy interfering. We can hang out in my room and listen to music again. What do you think?" 

Shawn grinned. "That would be great! Thanks." 

Chloe smiled. "No problem. I had fun last night." She told him as she closed her locker and the two of them began walking to the cafeteria. 

"Yeah me too." Shawn said. "Thanks for helping me out last night." 

"It was no problem." Chloe repeated. 

"What was no problem?" Phillip asked, as he came up behind them. 

Chloe turned around. "Oh, Shawn was just thanking me for lending him some notes." She lied. 

Phillip seemed to buy the excuse, because he just nodded and wrapped his arm around Chloe's waist. 

Shawn watched them, wondering what Phillip would do if he knew the truth. 

_Probably blow a gasket._ He thought. _It's better that he doesn't know. He'd just flip out and none of us need that._

Still, he felt guilty about lying to his best friend and wished that he didn't have to. But he knew that he **did** have to. After all, there was no telling how Phillip would react if he knew the truth and given the way he had been acting lately, it wasn't something Shawn wanted to test out.   
* * * * * 

Chloe knew that Shawn was uncomfortable lying to Phillip, she was too. After all, she cared more about Phillip than she had ever cared about anyone in her entire life. 

Still, she knew that if she told him the truth, he'd only get jealous and flip out. And she didn't want that. 

She hated his jealous side and tired to avoid it whenever she could, besides with all that Shawn was going through, he didn't need need top put up with a jealous Phillip as well. 

Besides, it wasn't like there was anything for Phillip to be jealous about. She and Shawn were just friends. Still, she knew that Phillip wouldn't see it that way. He always blew everything **way** out of proportion. 

Like he had with that 'thank you' kiss Shawn had given her when she and Belle had helped for look J.T. Phillip had gotten incredibly jealous over nothing then. 

So there was no telling how he'd react if he knew that Shawn had been in her bedroom alone with her. 

_So, it's best that he **doesn't** know._ She thought. _After all, what he doesn't know can't hurt him or the rest of us._   
* * * * *


	4. Part Four

Let Down the Walls   
By Misha 

**Part Four**

"Hi." Chloe said with a smile as she opened the door to Shawn. 

"Hi." He answered as he stepped inside. 

"How did it go with your mom?" Chloe asked as they headed up the stairs to her room. 

Behind her Shawn sighed. "Okay. I haven't totally forgiven her, but I understand why she didn't tell us. She didn't actually know until recently and my Dad always knew he wasn't the father, he just didn't know who was." 

"Still, that couldn't have made it any easier." Chloe commented as they entered her bedroom. 

Shawn shook his head as he sat down on the bed. "No. It didn't." 

"Do you want to talk about it?" Chloe asked, shutting the door behind her. "Or do you want to relax and take your mind off your problems?" 

"That one definitely." Shawn told her. "I **so** do not want to think about my problems right now." 

Chloe smiled and turned to her CD player, she took out the box of CD's she usually kept in her desk drawer, though the night before they had been laying there in plain sight which is why Shawn found them without having to look for them. 

Normally she kept them away from sight, hiding that half of herself from prying eyes. But for some reason she felt she didn't have to hide it from Shawn. She knew he wouldn't judge her or hurt her, he'd just be there. 

He had never hurt her. Not really. Yes, his part in the bet did hurt, but not the way Phillip's did. 

Maybe because she knew that Shawn had never intended to hurt her, if he had lost he would have taken her to the dance happily and if he won, well, he knew that Phillip would finally have the chance to see what he had seen all along. 

Phillip on the other hand... He made that bet, believing that he couldn't lose. He didn't care if he hurt her, he didn't care period. 

Chloe knew that had changed, but deep down inside there was a part of her that didn't trust Phillip because of that, because she felt that someday he'd hurt her again, deeper this time. 

She didn't feel that way about Shawn. He wouldn't hurt her, she knew that. She knew that without a doubt and because of that, she opened herself up to him and showed him the real Chloe Lane hidden under all the barriers she had erected around herself. 

"Chloe?" Shawn asked then, shaking her out of her reverie. 

Chloe smiled. "Sorry. I was just thinking." 

Shawn nodded. "Oh." 

Chloe returned her attention to the CD's, trying to decided what to listen to. "What are you in the mood for?" She asked Shawn. 

He got up and looked at the collection. "How about this?" He asked. 

Chloe looked at the CD and nodded. "Good choice." 

Shawn slipped it into the CD player and set it to a certain track, then a moment later "Behind Blue Eyes" by The Who came on. 

_No one knows what it's like   
To be the bad man   
To be the sad man   
Behind blue eyes_

"You know, you really have a great selection here." Shawn said appreciatively, looking over the CD's. 

Chloe smiled. "A lot of them were my adoptive father's." She told him quietly. "After my adoptive parents died some of their stuff went into storage until recently." She told him. 

Shawn nodded. "Cool. He had good taste." 

Chloe smiled slightly. "Yeah, he did." After a moment, she smiled again. "He loved this song. He always said it represented him." 

"I'm sorry." Shawn said softly. "I didn't mean to stir up bad memories." 

Chloe looked at him then. "You didn't." She said quietly. "It feels good to talk about them. I've kept the memories of my childhood bottled up for so long. It feels could to talk about it with someone else." 

_No one knows what it's like   
To be hated   
To be fated   
To telling only lies_

"I'd love to listen." Shawn told her. "But why me? Why not Phillip?" 

Chloe looked down at her hands. "I guess it's because I trust you more." 

Shawn stared at her. "What?" 

"Don't get me wrong, I trust Phillip, I love him, but... Deep down inside I'm not ready to share this part of myself with him. But I am ready to share it with you. Maybe 'cause you've never hurt me, Phillip has." 

Shawn listened to her words and nodded, it made sense. He knew that Chloe's trust wasn't gained easily and having had it broken once before by Phillip and then again with the whole thing with his father, it was no wonder that she didn't completely trust him. 

_But my dreams   
They aren't as empty   
As my conscience seems to be_

"But, you know," Chloe said after a moment, "this was supposed to get us relaxed, not all melancholy." 

"You're right." Shawn told her. "As of now, all serious thoughts are put away." 

Chloe smiled. "Good." 

"You know," Shawn said after a moment, "I love this song, but maybe we should play something faster and more light-hearted." 

"Okay." Chloe told him with a smile. 

Shawn took the CD out and put it back in his case, and he replaced it with another CD. A minute later the sound of "Take It Easy" by The Eagles filled the room. 

_Well I'm a runnin' down the road try'n to loosen my load   
I've got seven women on my mind   
Four that wanna own me, two that wanna stone me   
One says she's a friend of mine_

"Okay, this is definitely more light-hearted." Chloe said, beginning to move in time to the music. 

Shawn grinned and sat down on the bed to watch her. It really was a treat to see Chloe like this, so relaxed and carefree. She really was a whole different person. 

His grin grew as she began to sing along with the song as she danced, not a trace of worry or apprehension in her face. 

She was totally free of all the stress of everyday life, the walls she built around herself were down. Shawn only wished it could stay that way. 

_Take it easy, take it easy   
Don't let the sound of your own wheels drive you crazy   
Lighten up while you still can   
Don't even try to understand   
Just find a place to make your stand,and take it easy_

Chloe was aware of Shawn watching her, but she didn't care. 

She knew that it was only because before yesterday he would never have imagined she could be like this. 

Hell, there were times when **she** was surprised by this side of herself. Sometimes she buried it so deep that it only appeared every six or seven months. 

But lately, it had been coming out more and more often. 

And now, now she had someone to share this side of her with. She didn't have to keep it all to herself anymore, Shawn would be there. 

_Well, I'm a standin' on a corner in Winslow, Arizona   
Such a fine sight to see   
It's a girl my lord in a flat-bed Ford   
Slowin' down to take a look at me_

Chloe suddenly turned to Shawn and grabbed his hand. 

"Come on." She told him with a laugh. "Dance." 

Shawn grinned and complied. 

The two of them moved in time to the music, neither of them letting their problems get to them. Right now, neither of them had a care in the world. 

Occasionally one or the other of them would sing along with the song as they continued to dance. 

_Come on, baby, don't say maybe   
I gotta know if your sweet love is gonna save me   
We may lose and we may win, though we may never be here again   
So open up I'm climbin' in, so take it easy_

Shawn spun Chloe around then and she laughed. 

"You should laugh more often." Shawn told her. 

"Well, give me time and I'm sure it'll happen." She told him with a smile. 

"I'll make sure of it." Shawn promised. "Lee, I've had a lot of fun today and yesterday. I like hanging out with you and getting to see this side of you, we can keep doing it, right? Even after this thing with my parents gets cleared up?" 

"Of course." Chloe assured him. "I've had fun too, Shawn. And it'd be nice to hang out, listen to rock and roll, and generally be silly with you." 

"Great." Shawn told her with a grin. 

_Well, I'm a runnin' down the road tryin' to loosen my load   
Got a world of trouble on my mind   
Lookin' for a lover who won't blow my cover, she's so hard to find_

"Wait." He said suddenly. "What about Phillip?" 

"What about him?" Chloe asked. 

"I mean if he knew about this he'd freak, unless we're going to keep our friendship from him." Shawn said. "And I don't want to do that." 

"Neither do I." Chloe told him. "And I don't see why we have to. Phillip can know we're friends, I mean he already does, but he can know we've gotten closer. He just doesn't need to know about when you come over and no one else here. After all, that will just set him off." 

"True." Shawn said softly. "Okay. Then that's how we'll do it." 

_Take it easy,take it easy   
Don't let the sound of your own wheels make you crazy   
Come on baby, don't say maybe   
I gotta know of your sweet love is gonna save me_

The song ended and both Chloe and Shawn sat down as another song came on. 

"You know, one more thing." Chloe said suddenly. "You probably shouldn't call me 'Lee' in front of people. Phillip probably wouldn't understand." 

"There's a lot Phillip wouldn't understand." Shawn muttered. "His jealousy is getting out of control." 

"I know." Chloe told him, rolling her eyes. "But... I don't know what to do about it. I mean, I've tried telling him over and over that he has nothing to worry about, but he just doesn't listen." 

"Don't worry." Shawn comforted. "I'm sure he'll get over it as soon as he realises that your as crazy about him as he is about you." 

"I guess." Chloe said softly. 

Still, Shawn could tell that neither one of them believed what he had said. Both of them felt that Phillip's jealousy was out of control and neither of them had any idea what was going to happen next because of it.   
* * * * *


	5. Part Five

Let Down the Walls   
By Misha 

_Author's Notes- Hi, sorry it's been so long between parts, I've been busy with school and my other stories. Still, I'm sorry I've neglected this story and thank you to everyone who asked for another part! I'm glad you like it so much. Anyway, here's the next part of "Let Down the Walls", I hope you enjoy it._

**Part Five**

_One Month Later_

Shawn caught Chloe's eye a cross the table at Dot.Com and grinned. 

It had been a month since he had discovered the other side of Chloe and in that time, the two of them had become a lot closer. He had found himself confiding in Chloe about things he had never told another person and vice versa, a very special bond had built up between them and he was very grateful of that. 

Still, he wished that they didn't have to hide how close their friendship had been. True, they hung out more now at Dot.Com or the Pub and they spent time together at school, it was obvious that they were getting closer, but no one knew **how** close and Shawn knew it had to be that way. 

Neither he nor Chloe wanted to unleash Phillip's jealous side and that was precisely what would happen if he found out how much time they spent together alone. Not that anything happened, they were just friends, but they both also knew that once Phillip's jealousy was provoked, there was no way they would be able to talk any sense into him, so why risk it? Besides, Shawn could see that Phillip was already slightly jealous of how close he and Chloe were in front of people, he'd only be a million times worse if he knew the truth. 

Sometimes, Shawn worried that Phillip's jealousy was getting out of control and that someday it was going to make him do something stupid. 

Still, Shawn didn't want to believe it. Phillip was his best friend and Shawn couldn't believe that he could ever hurt someone, let alone Chloe, who he adored. 

_But do you ever really know anyone well enough to be sure of that?_ A voice in his head asked him. 

Shawn dismissed the voice. There was no way Phillip would ever hurt Chloe, was there?   
* * * * * 

"You and Shawn have been spending a lot of time together lately." Belle commented the next day as she and Chloe went shopping at Salem Place. 

Chloe shrugged. "I guess." 

"Chloe, is everything okay between you and Phillip?" Belle asked. 

Chloe was confused by Belle's question, then she realised what Belle was hinting at. 

"Of course! I love Phillip. Belle, Shawn and I are just friends." Chloe told Belle, shaking her head. "It's just we have a lot of common and we hang out sometimes, that's all." 

Belle looked relieved. "Cool. I just wondered if you and Phillip were having problems and that was why you were hanging out with Shawn." 

"No." Chloe told him. "Phillip and I are great." 

Inwardly, she wondered if that was the truth. There was times when Phillip's jealous side really irritated her. 

Especially when it came to Brady. She didn't understand it. Phillip had nothing to be jealous of and certainly not with Brady. She would rather date the devil than get involved with Brady Black. He was **so** not her type that it wasn't funny. She really couldn't see why Phillip was jealous of him. 

"Want to drop by the Pub for some lunch?" Belle asked suddenly, jolting her out of her thoughts. 

"Sure." Chloe said with a grin, knowing why Belle wanted to swing by the pub. She wanted to see Shawn. 

Chloe thought her friends would be a good match and she wanted to see them together. Shawn and Belle were her best friends and she wanted them both to be happy.   
* * * * * 

Belle watched Chloe as they entered the Pub, there was something that she wasn't telling her, but she didn't know what. 

Something was going on with Chloe and Belle was hurt that her friend hadn't confided in her. She and Chloe were best friends, Belle told her everything and she knew that Chloe told her more than she had ever told anyone else, so why hadn't she confided in her this time. 

_You know it's still hard for her._ A voice in her head. _Don't worry she'll tell you, she'll just need some time to do it._

Belle realised that was true and took a deep breath. 

Then she smiled as Chloe spotted Phillip and Shawn and rushed her over to her boyfriend. Belle joined her a minute later, smiling as she saw Phillip and Chloe together. 

_Maybe I was wrong._ She thought. _Maybe everything is fine._   
* * * * *


	6. Part Six

Let Down the Walls   
By Misha 

_Author's Notes- Thank you to everyone who has asked about this story, I'm glad that you all like it. I was a little stuck, but I finally managed to write part six, though I don't know when part seven will be done. I hope it won't be too long though. Anyway, that's all, enjoy!_

**Part Six**

"You know Phil would kill me if he could see this right now." Shawn told Chloe with a grin. 

"I know." She told him. "We'll just have to keep it our little secret." 

"Of course." Shawn told her, his arm wrapped casually around her shoulders. The two of them were laying on his couch watching a movie. 

Chloe had her head on Shawn's chest and he had his arm around her, but both knew that the gestures were just friendly ones. 

They often did things like that when they were alone. Chloe had never been as comfortable with anyone as she was with Shawn. 

With Phillip there was always a little bit of doubt nagging at the back of her mind. But it wasn't there with Shawn. She felt totally at ease with him. 

She loved Phillip, she really did, but she wondered if he would ever know her the way Shawn did. She didn't think so. 

There was something about Shawn that made her feel so at ease, that made her let down the walls that she had built around herself so long ago. 

He was the best friend she had ever had.   
* * * * * 

"What's with Shawn and Chloe?" Bo asked Hope as he entered the kitchen. "I thought Chloe was dating Phillip." 

"She is." Hope told him. "She and Shawn are just really good friends. I questioned Shawn about it a couple days ago and he told me that there's absolutely nothing romantic between him and Chloe, they're just really good friends." 

Bo raised an eyebrow. "Really? That's not what it looks like." 

"I know." Hope told him. "And I think that in time they will too, but right down they honestly think they're just friends. Besides, Chloe's with Phillip, and from what I've seen they're pretty serious. Although, I have to admit his behaviour worries me a little?" 

"What do you mean?" Bo asked curiously. 

Hope sighed. "Oh, just that he seems to be a little possessive and apparently he's got a jealous streak. That's why Chloe and Shawn have been keeping their closeness a secret, they're afraid of his reaction." 

Bo grimaced. "Oh, boy." 

He knew that Shawn and Chloe were treading on thin ice if Phillip's jealousy was really that bad, though Bo hoped that it wasn't, but he wasn't sure. Still, if it was, then Shawn and Chloe were playing a dangerous game. 

He said as much to Hope. "I hope they're ready for the explosion, because I have a feeling things could get nasty."   
* * * * * 

Shawn looked over at Chloe, with a smile. 

It always made him happy to see her so relaxed, it wasn't something that happened often. But he was seeing it more and more and he was glad. She had had those barriers up for way too long. 

Shawn just hoped that someday they'd be down for good. He would do everything he could to make sure of that, but... 

A part of him wasn't sure what they were doing was a good idea. Not them being friends, but rather them keeping it from Phillip. 

Shawn understood the motive, he was just afraid that if they kept hiding their friendship from Phillip, it could just make things worse. 

What happened if he did eventually find out? He'd flip, Shawn knew. His temper would come out in full force and things would just get nasty. 

Shawn didn't want that, but he wasn't sure he could prevent it.   
* * * * *


	7. Part Seven

Let Down the Walls   
By Misha 

_Author's Notes- This part was written for my mom's birthday, which is today. She's still alive, thankfully, but today we were talking about her mom and how much she misses her, so that's why I wrote this. Also, I wanted to thank everyone for the wonderful feedback this story has received. I'm glad you all like it so much. That's all for now, enjoy!_

**Part Seven**

The next day at school, Shawn watched Chloe during History class with worried eyes. Something was wrong, he could see it on her face. 

It wasn't obvious, at least not to anyone but him, but he could see it. She was upset about something. He wondered if it what it was. 

_Whatever it is, it looks serious._ He though, seeing the pain evident in her blue eyes. 

He glanced over at Phillip and wondered if he saw it to, but he didn't think so. Though, that didn't really surprise him, it wasn't obvious that she was upset, he just knew her so well that he could see it. 

In the last little while he and Chloe had become really close and he knew that he knew her better than anyone else. That was why he knew it was up to him to comfort her about whatever was wrong. He made a mental note to talk to her after class. 

He glanced at Phillip again as the horrible thought that he might have done something to her crossed his mind. He still didn't want to believe that Phillip was capable was doing something like that, but he wasn't sure anymore. 

_If he did hurt her, I'll make sure he never does it again._ Shawn vowed silently, promising himself that he'd never let anyone hurt Chloe, not if he could prevent it.   
* * * * * 

Chloe could barely concentrate in class, the memories were just too much. She felt like she was going to breakdown, but she knew she couldn't, not here. 

Later, later when she was alone, then she would cry. 

_Well, maybe not alone._ She corrected silently, catching Shawn looking at her with concern. She realised that he could tell that she was upset. 

She smiled slightly. _Shawn'll be there for me. He'll comfort me when I cry. He'll always be there._

She knew that it was true. Shawn was a wonderful friend, he was always there for her, she knew that that would never change. 

She glanced over at Phillip and realised that he didn't see it. He didn't realise that she was upset. 

It bothered her a little bit that her boyfriend couldn't see that something was bothering her, but his best friend could. Though, Shawn was her best friend as well, now. 

She pushed the thought out of her mind and tried to concentrate on class. 

Still, she couldn't help wondering, for the millionth time, why she could relate to Shawn better than she could to Phillip.   
* * * * * 

After school, Shawn caught up with Chloe and the two of them went back to his place. Once they were alone in his bedroom, he looked at her seriously. "What's wrong Lee?" 

Chloe took a deep breath. "Today would be my Mom's birthday." 

"Your Mom?" Shawn asked. "Oh, your adoptive mom." 

Chloe nodded. "Yeah. I still think of her as 'Mom', maybe that's why I don't think I'll ever be able to call Nancy that." 

"Maybe." Shawn agreed. "So that's why you look so down, you miss her don't you?" 

"Every day." Chloe told him. "But especially today. I loved her Shawn, so much, and I still do." 

"I know." Shawn told her, wrapping an arm around her. "And that's okay, you're allowed to and you're allowed to miss her. She was a big part of your life." 

"Yeah." Chloe agreed sadly. "I just wonder if I'll ever stop miss her." 

"Probably not." Shawn said quietly. "You're always going to wish they were there, but that's okay, because in spirit they will be. They'll always be with you." 

"I know." Chloe said quietly. "It's just... It still hurts so much." 

Shawn just held her for a moment as they were both silent. 

Finally, he had an idea. Taking a deep breath, he began to sing. 

_"She would never say where she came from   
Yesterday don't matter if it's gone   
While the sun is bright or   
In the darkest night   
No one knows   
She comes and go   
Goodbye Ruby Tuesday, who could hang a name on you?   
When you change with ev'ry new day   
Still I'm gonna miss you."_

Chloe smiled slightly as he began to sing "Ruby Tuesday". She had told him that when she was little her adoptive father had used to sing it to her and he had remembered. 

She couldn't believe how wonderful Shawn was. 

She leaned her against his shoulder as he continued to sing to her. He had a wonderful voice. 

For a moment she wondered why she hadn't fallen for Shawn, but she pushed the thought away. Shawn was her best friend, nothing more. 

She loved Phillip. 

_"Don't question why she needs to be so free   
She'll tell you it's the only way to be   
She just can't be chained to a   
Life where nothing's gained and nothing's lost at such a cost   
Goodbye Ruby Tuesday, who could hang a name on you?   
When you change..."_ Shawn saw Chloe smiled a little and was glad. Now he knew why she was so upset and he understood. 

He knew how close she had been to her adoptive parents and how much their death still affected her. So, of course she was upset today, thinking about how it would have been her adoptive mother's birthday and how she wasn't there to celebrate. 

So, if there was anything he could do to make her feel better, than he would do it. 

Chloe was special to him. He had never related to anyone the way he did to her, they shared a special connection and he wanted to do whatever he could to make her happy. 

_"'There's no time to lose'   
I heard her say   
Catch your dreams before they slip away   
Dying all the time   
Lose your dreams and you will lose your mind   
Ain't life unkind?   
Goodbye Ruby Tuesday, who could hang a name on you?   
When you change..."_ When Shawn finished singing, Chloe looked up at him, tears glistening in her beautiful blue eyes. 

"Thank you." She whispered. "You don't know how much that means to me." 

"Anything Lee." He told her. 

"You know that you're my best friend, don't you?" Chloe asked him softly. 

"I do." He told her. "And you're mine. I've never been able to talk to anyone the way I can talk to you. I feel like I can tell you anything you'll understand." 

"Ditto." She told him. "I've never been able to open up to people, normally, but with you it's so easy." 

"I'm glad." Shawn told her. 

Chloe smiled up at him, grateful for his friendship and hopeful that things between them would never change. Because she didn't know what she would do without Shawn in her life.   
* * * * *


	8. Part Eight

Let Down the Walls   
By Misha 

_Author's Notes- Sorry, it's been so long between parts, I've been busy with other things. Most importantly, I celebrated my 18th birthday, last week, yea! But now I'm back in writing mode. I've decided to pick up the pace of the story a little, which will definitely be noticeable in the next chapter. It should be fun, wait and see... Well that's all for now, enjoy!_

**Part Eight**

"Want to stay for dinner, Lee?" Shawn asked later that evening. 

Chloe smiled at him. "Sure, do you think your parents would mind?" 

"Nah." Shawn told her. "You know my Mom loves having you." 

"He's right." Hope said from the doorway. "You're always welcome here, Chloe." 

"Thanks." Chloe said with a smile. "So you don't mind if I stay for dinner?" 

"Of course not." Hope told her. "Actually, I came upstairs to ask you is you wanted to. That and for you to watch J.T." 

"Of course." Shawn said, standing up to take J.T from her. 

Hope handed him over with a smile and then went downstairs to prepare dinner. 

"Hi sweetie." Chloe said with a smile, taking the baby from Shawn a minute later. 

J.T's face lit up when he saw Chloe and he immediately grabbed for her long hair. 

"He really likes you." Shawn commented, sitting back down beside her on his bed. 

"Well, I really like him." Chloe said with a smile as she played with the baby. "He's so cute, just like his big brother." 

"Thanks." Shawn said with a smile. "I don't know about J.T, but I think you're pretty cute too." 

Chloe laughed. She knew that it was just harmless flirting, something that they had done hundreds of times in the last few weeks. 

Suddenly, the laughter died on her lips when her eyes met Shawn's. Neither of them said anything, but suddenly there was something more than just friendship. 

Then, Chloe wrenched her eyes away and it was gone. The moment was over. 

_It was nothing._ Chloe told herself. _I was just imagining it._   
* * * * * 

Hope smiled as she watched Shawn and Chloe after dinner. They were on the couch together watching a movie. Chloe had her head on Shawn's shoulder while J.T rested on her lap. It was a wonderful picture. 

_I wonder how long before they see how cute they are together._ Hope thought. 

She could see that there was something between Shawn and Chloe, but she also knew that they were oblivious to it. She hoped that they'd eventually realise their feelings for one another, though she knew that there were obstacles in between them. 

Mainly Phillip, though there was also Belle. 

Hope knew that the other girl had had a crush on Shawn forever and would not take kindly to what was happening between Shawn and Chloe. 

Hope liked Belle, she always had, but she wasn't sure if she was really Shawn's type. She honestly believed that he was better matched with Chloe, who enjoyed the same things that he did. 

Same with Chloe and Phillip, that was pairing that Hope just did not understand. 

_Oh, well._ She thought. _I'm sure everything will work itself out eventually._

She just hoped that when too many people wouldn't get hurt when the feelings that Shawn and Chloe shared eventually came to the surface.   
* * * * * 

"Shawn, your father and I are going down to Gran's, will you two be okay?" Hope asked a little while later. 

Shawn tore his eyes away from the TV. "Yeah, we'll be fine, are you guys taking J.T." 

"Nah, he looks so peaceful," Hope said with a smile, referring to where J.T rested in Chloe's arms, "that we'll leave him be." 

"Okay." Shawn agreed. "Have fun." 

"We will." Bo told him before the door shut behind his parents. 

Shawn turned his attention back to the TV screen, until J.T began to cry a few minutes later. 

"Hey buddy, what's wrong?" Shawn asked, taking the baby from Chloe. Then he wrinkled his nose. "Oh, that's what's wrong. Okay, let's go clean you up." 

He stood up, his brother in his arms. 

"I'll do it." Chloe volunteered, taking the baby back. 

"Are you sure?" Shawn asked her. 

"Positive, watch the movie." She instructed with a smile, as she exited the room and headed upstairs with J.T. 

Shawn nodded and turned his attention back to the movie, though not completely as he was very aware of Chloe's absence. He liked feeling her lean against him... 

He shook his head and pushed the thought away. _That's crazy, Lee and I are just friends, besides even if we weren't..._

Just then the doorbell rang and interrupted his train of thought. With a sigh he got up and opened the door. 

"Hello." He froze when he saw who it was on the other side. 

Phillip.   
* * * * *


	9. Part Nine

Let Down the Walls   
By Misha 

**Part Nine**

Shawn stared at his friend. _Oh, no._ He thought. _If Phil finds out that Chloe's here, he'll flip._

Shawn took a deep breath. "Hey, Phil, what are you doing here?" 

"Oh, I just thought I'd see what were you doing." Phillip told him. "It's been a while-" 

Phillip stopped suddenly and he stared at something behind Shawn. 

Shawn groaned inwardly, and turned around. 

Sure enough, Chloe was standing there, J.T in her arms. 

_I've got to do something._ He thought, but he wasn't sure what. 

"Chloe," Phillip said in a low voice, "what are you doing here?" 

Shawn closed his eyes. Her knew from the sound of things that Phillip was going to lose it and things were going to get ugly. If only there was some way he could prevent that... 

"Baby-sitting J.T." Chloe told him suddenly. "Bo and Hope had to go out and Shawn was at the Pub with his Grandparents, so Hope called me and asked if I would watch him." 

Shawn breathed a silent sight of relief, leave it to Chloe to come with something to get them out of this jam. 

"Why would Hope ask you?" Phillip demanded. "Why not Jen or Lexie, or even Belle?" 

"Jen and Jack are doing something with Abby tonight." Chloe told him. "Lexie's been so tense with the whole Isaac situation that Hope didn't want to bother him and Belle told me earlier that she was going shopping with Mimi, so I guess that if Hope called her she wasn't home." 

Shawn hid a grin. Chloe wasn't lying, all those things were true, she was just evading the truth a little. They were safe. 

"Oh." Phillip said after a moment. "I see. But Shawn's home now, so why are you still here?" 

"I just got home." Shawn entered smoothly. "Chloe wasn't even aware I was home yet." 

Phillip was silent for a minute, but he seemed to accept it. 

Shawn was relieved. He felt guilty for lying to him, but he knew that if Phillip knew the truth things would just get ugly, so for now lies were necessary. 

"Well since Shawn is home, you're done, right?" Phillip asked. "I'll walk you home." 

"Alright." Chloe agreed. "I'll go get my coat." 

She handed J.T to Shawn and disappeared into the kitchen. 

"I'll see you tomorrow." She told him with a smile, before she turned to leave. 

"Okay." Shawn agreed and mouthed the words 'I'll call you' at her. 

She smiled and nodded, before following Phillip. 

Shawn watched her go, fighting down the urge to call out to her. He didn't know why, but it was so hard for him to watch Phillip take Chloe's hand in his as they left together.   
* * * * * 

"Is this the first time you baby-sat J.T?" Phillip asked Chloe as he walked her home. 

"Yeah." She told him. "I mean, I've played with him before. At the Pub, when we all hang out at Shawn's, and a couple times when Belle and I stop by Mrs. Horton's, but this is the first time I've ever looked after him on my own. He's adorable." 

"He is pretty cute." Phillip agreed. "You didn't tell me you were baby-sitting." 

"It was a last minute thing." Chloe told him. "Hope said that she planned on taking him with her, but when they got ready to go, he was sleeping so peacefully that she didn't want to wake him. That's why she called me." 

Phillip looked into Chloe's eyes and decided that she was telling him the truth. Besides, why would she lie to him? No, he knew that she was telling him the truth and he decided to drop the subject, realising that he probably sounded like a jealous idiot. 

"So what were you doing at Shawn's?" Chloe asked. 

"Oh, I was bored and just wanted to see if he wanted to hang out." Phillip told her. 

"Of course I'd rather spend time with you." Chloe smiled shyly. 

Phillip stopped and pulled her into his arms. "I love you." He told her, kissing her softly. 

He knew that Chloe wasn't ready to say the words yet, but that was okay. He knew how she felt and that was enough.   
* * * * * 

Chloe sat on her bed, lost in thought. She hated lying to Phillip, she really did, but she also knew that she couldn't tell him from the truth. If she did, then things would just get out of control. 

She couldn't let that happen, so the only thing she could do was lie and hope that she didn't get caught. 

_Or you could break up with Phillip._ A voice in her head told her. 

She dismissed it. Why would she break up with Phillip? She loved him. Sure, his jealousy irritated her, but... She could handle it. 

It wasn't like it was really bad. It was just a little annoying sometimes. Nothing to get worked up over. After all, it wasn't like Phillip would ever hurt or anything like that. 

Just then, the telephone rang and snapped her out of her thoughts. 

"Hello?" 

"Hey, it's me." Shawn told her. 

Chloe smiled. "Hey Shawn, what's up?" 

"I just wanted to see that you got home okay, Phillip bought your story, right?" 

"Yeah." Chloe told him. "I hate lying to him though." 

"So do I." Shawn told her. "But, we can't tell him the truth." 

"I know." Chloe said with a sigh. "But it's so hard." 

"I know." Shawn told her. "But I don't know what else we could do, do you?" 

"No." Chloe said sadly. "I really don't." 

"Oh, by the way, I talked to Mom and she says she'll back you up about the baby-sitting thing." Shawn told her. 

"Really?" Chloe asked. 

"Yeah, I explained about Phillip's jealousy and she said that while lying is probably not the best idea, she understand why we're doing it, so she'll back you up." 

"Tell her thank you for me." Chloe said softly. 

"I will." Shawn told her. 

"Shawn, do you mind if I hang up? I'm really tired." Chloe told him. 

"Of course not, go ahead." Shawn told her. "I'll talk to you in the morning." 

"Okay." Chloe said. "Sleep well." 

With that she hung up the phone. 

She took a deep breath, wondering why things had to be so complicated. She was just so confused. 

She loved Phillip, she really did, but even just speaking to Shawn could make her relax the way nothing else could. He saw into her soul and that scared her. 

_Is it possible to love one boy, but share your sold with another?_ Chloe asked herself silently. 

She didn't know the answer and she wasn't sure she wanted to.   
* * * * *


	10. Part Ten

Let Down the Walls   
By Misha 

_Author's Notes- This part is pretty short, mainly I just wanted to bring Belle in a little. I've been neglecting her, but she will have a bigger part as the story unfolds. So will some of the other teens, who haven't shown up at all, yet. You'll see what I mean as I go on. Well, that's all for now, enjoy!_

**Part Ten**

"Hey, where were you last night?" Belle asked Chloe the next morning in school as she approached her locker. 

Chloe turned around to smile at her friend. "Oh, I was baby-sitting for J.T." 

Belle gasped. "What?" 

"Hope had to go out, so she asked me if I'd baby-sit." Chloe explained. 

She could sense instantly that the news had not gone over well with Belle. For some reason, she was not happy about it. 

"Oh." She said finally. "But Hope barely knows you, why would..." 

"I don't know." Chloe told her. "Maybe Shawn told her that you were going shopping with Mimi, so she decided not to call." 

"We didn't go shopping." Belle said sulkily. "She cancelled, something came up. I sat around with nothing to do." 

"Sorry." Chloe told her. "I didn't know. Want to go shopping this afternoon to make up for it?" 

"Sure." Belle said, though Chloe could see that she wasn't totally appeased. 

_What upset her so much?_ Chloe asked herself silently. Then the bell rang and she decided to worry about that. 

"Bye!" She called out to Belle as she hurried towards her class.   
* * * * * 

"Hey." Shawn told Chloe as he sat down beside her in Geography. 

It was the only class that just the two of them had together. Shawn had to admit, he enjoyed being able to hang out with just Chloe without having to lie. 

"Hey." She said with a smile. 

"Do you have any plans for this afternoon?" Shawn asked in a low voice. 

"I'm going shopping with Belle." Chloe explained. "But maybe I'll stop by the pub after, okay?" 

"Sure." Shawn told her. 

Chloe smiled and was about to say something else, when the teacher walked in. She sighed and turned her attention to the board. 

Shawn watched her for a moment, wondering what she had been about to say, then did the same.   
* * * * * 

"What do you think of this top?" Belle asked Chloe a couple hours later as they wandered through Salem Place. 

"It's nice." Chloe told her, though she seemed a little distracted. 

_She's probably a little upset over how I acted this morning._ Belle thought. 

She knew that she hadn't exactly been nice to Chloe, but she had just been so startled. She had always been close to Shawn's family and for some reason it hurt to know that Hope had asked Chloe to baby-sit instead of her. 

Of course, now that she thought about it, she knew that Chloe's explanation made sense. Still... It bothered her. 

_That's silly._ She thought. _Why would Chloe baby-sitting for J.T bother me?_

She pushed the thought away and concentrated on her shopping. There was nothing to worry about. Chloe just did Hope a favour, nothing more than that. 

_I'm so silly._ Belle thought, before vowing not to think about any more. 

She grabbed another shirt and threw herself into her shopping.   
* * * * *


	11. Part Eleven

Let Down the Walls   
By Misha 

_Author's Notes- This part is all reflective as you get to see what is going on in Chloe and Shawn's minds. The next part will have more action in it, I promise. I just wanted to show you what Shawn and Chloe are feeling, since that will have a major affect on the plot. Well, that's all for now, enjoy!_

**Part Eleven**

After she got home from shopping with Belle, Chloe went up to her room and got out her diary. 

She really needed to get a lot of her stuff off her mind and the only way was to write it down. She was just so confused about everything that had been going on lately. 

After a minute, she began to write. 

_Dear Diary, _

I'm so confused these days. It seems like everything is a mess, you know? 

There are just so many lies. I want to put an end to them, but... There are only two ways that could happen and neither are pleasant. 

One would be that everything would come out in the open, but I know that would be a disaster. Phillip's temper is too crazy. He would go bezerk. He's **so** jealous and I know that if he knew how much time that Shawn and I spend together, he'd lose it. I don't want that to happen. 

Phillip's temper scares me. I mean I know that he'd never hurt me, but... I'm afraid that he'd hurt Shawn. Phillip's temper is bad enough that if he lost it... He probably would end up hurting somebody. I don't want that to happen. 

Unfortunately, the only other way I can think of too end the lies is just as bad. Shawn and I could go back to the relationship we had before. I know that it would be safer and that we'd no longer have to keep coming up with more lies, but... I can't do it. 

Shawn is too important to be. When I'm with him, I can be myself, I can be open with him and know that he'll never hurt me. 

How can I give up my relationship with the one person I can truly be myself with? I can't and because of that the lies have to continue. I know it's wrong, but I can't give up my friendship with Shawn. 

He's **so** important to me. When I'm with him, I feel like I've never felt before. Not even with Phillip. 

Don't get me wrong, I love Phillip, but I'm not connected to him the way I am to Shawn. And I know that I never will be. Phillip will never be able to reach me the way Shawn has, nor will I be able to be as free with him as I am with Shawn. 

There's something about Shawn that gets through all the layers of fear and pain that have built up over the years and lets him see the real me. The person I was before I erected all the walls around myself. 

I don't understand why that person is Shawn, but it is. I almost wish it wasn't, because the fact that is Shawn makes everything so complicated. 

And not just because of the Phillip factor, but also because of Belle. I hate lying to her almost as much as I hate lying too Phillip, but I know I can't tell her the truth. Not just because I don't want to place her in that position, but also because I know that deep down my friendship with Shawn would bother her. 

I know Belle likes Shawn, so does everyone else in the entire world except him, but more than that they've been friends for a long time. Shawn said once that until I came along, Belle was his only really good girl friend. 

Now that's no longer true and not only that, Shawn and I are closer than they ever were. I'm not trying to sound vain, I'm stating the facts, that Shawn and I share an incredibly deep bond. A bond that I know would bother those closest to me. 

So what do I do? I can't help but be afraid that someday this is all going to come out and that those I love are going to get hurt. 

But that's not the worst part. The worst part of this whole mess isn't the lies or the betrayal of people I care about. 

No, the worst part is that I'm in love with one boy, but I've found my soul mate in his best friend. 

Chloe   
* * * * * 

Shawn dug up his journal from the bottom of his end table drawer. He needed to get some things off of his mind and this was the only way he could think of. 

A minute later he began to write. 

_Hey- Damn, it's been a long time since I've written in here, hasn't it? _

I guess since Chloe and I became so close I haven't needed to write down my most intimate thoughts. I can tell her. 

But recently I've started thinking things I can't talk to her about, so that's why I'm writing them down. 

I... I think I'm falling for her. I don't know. When I look into her eyes, I feel things I've never felt before. 

I always said that I didn't want to be tied down so young with a serious relationship, but I've started to wonder if that's because I never met a girl I'd want to get involved with. Until now. 

There's something about Chloe... She's so special. She's beautiful, she's smart, she's talented, and when we talk... I see a side of her that no one else does. A side that's so appealing... 

God, I have to stop this. I can't think like that. Chloe's my best friend, nothing more. She's in love with Phillip. I know that. 

But, lately I've been wondering why. She and Phillip, they're like an explosion waiting to happen. I'm afraid that's going to happen. That things are gonna get out of control. 

It's not just these new feelings for Chloe that is talking, here. I'm really worried. 

Phillip's one of my best friends, he has been for a long time, but even I can tell that he's treading a thin line. His jealousy and his temper are getting more and more dangerous and I'm afraid that they're going to explode and hurt somebody. 

Namely Chloe. There was a time when I would never have believed Phillip capable of hurting someone, but now I'm starting to have my doubts. 

I'm afraid that with the way he is now, he'll snap and Chloe will get hurt. I won't let that happen. I **can't** let that happen. I'll protect her. 

No matter what I have to do. 

-Shawn   
* * * * *


	12. Part Twelve

Let Down the Walls   
By Misha 

_Author's Notes- Okay, this part contains no Shloe. It focuses on Phillip, Chloe, and Jan. Yes, Jan. Believe it or not, I'm actually going to give Jan some depth in this one. She's not going to be a villain, she's going to be a semi-decent person in this one. Blame it on Rinoa's "Breaking News" which made me actually like Jan and want to give her depth and even redeem her. Onto another subject, something big happens in this part. Something which will change all the relationships and impact the rest of the story. Well, that's all for now, enjoy!_

**Part Twelve**

"Hey beautiful." Phillip said the next day at school, smiling lovingly as he wrapped his arms around his girlfriend. 

"Hey you." Chloe said with a smile. 

"Do you want to go to Dot.Com after school?" Phillip asked. 

"Of course." Chloe answered. "Why wouldn't I?" 

"I don't know, I wasn't sure if you were baby-sitting again." Phillip said and Chloe detected an edge in his voice. 

"Phillip, it was a one time thing." Chloe said patiently, slightly scared by how easy the lies had become. 

She had been telling them for so long, that she no longer hesitated in saying them. It had been a familiar pattern. 

Phillip sighed. "I know. I'm sorry, it's just..." 

"Why don't we forget about it?" Chloe suggested. "Alright?" 

"Alright." Phillip agreed. "Now, let's talk about this afternoon."   
* * * * * 

Phillip smiled at Chloe across the booth at Dot.Com. "Do you want a Latte?" He asked her. 

Chloe smiled. "That'd be nice, thanks." 

Phillip nodded and went up to get it for her. When he came back, he saw Brady standing next to the booth, deep in conversation with Chloe. 

"Hey, am I interrupting something?" He asked coldly as he sat down. 

"Of course not." Chloe assured him. "Brady and I were just talking." 

"Yeah, Uncle Phil." Brady said mockingly. "We were just talking. You don't have to worry about me stealing your girlfriend." 

Phillip glared at him. God, Brady got under his skin. Phillip **knew** that he was interested in Chloe, but he wasn't sure what to do about it. 

She actually seemed to enjoy Brady's company, though she was always complaining about him. Phillip wondered if she was attracted to Brady. 

_Of course not._ He assured himself, but deep down he wasn't sure. Brady and Chloe were so alike... 

He pushed the thought aside and concentrated on the present problem, his anger still red hot. 

"Is your conversation done now?" He asked coldly. "Because Chloe and I are here on a date." 

Brady chuckled. "Of course. Goodbye Uncle Phil, goodbye Drusilla." With that he walked away, still chuckling. 

"Phillip!" Chloe hissed as soon as Brady was gone. "That was rude?" 

"What was I supposed to do?" Phillip demanded. "Invite him to join us? You would have liked that wouldn't you?" 

Chloe stared at him in confusion. "What?" 

"Come on, admit it, you like the attention Brady gives you." Phillip said through clenched teeth. 

"What?" Chloe asked again. "Phillip, there's nothing going on between me and Brady." 

"Don't lie to me." Phillip said, raising his hand and slapping her. 

As soon as he did, he gasped. 

"Oh, God." He said, full of remorse. "Chloe, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to." 

Chloe stared at him in shock, her blue eyes full of tears. "I need to go." She said, standing up. 

Phillip grabbed her arm. "Please don't." He begged, aware that everyone was watching them. "I'm so sorry." 

"I know." She said quietly. "I just need some time." 

"Are things still alright between us?" He asked. 

Chloe was quiet for a minute, then nodded. "Yeah, of course." 

Phillip sighed in relief. "Thank God. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" 

"Okay." Chloe said, as she exited Dot.Com. 

Phillip watched her go, wondering what had come over him. What had possessed him to hit Chloe? 

_It was an accident,_ he assured himself, _I just snapped. I won't do it again._   
* * * * * 

Jan had watched the scene in horror. 

Suddenly, for the first time ever, Jan felt sorry for someone else. 

When Jan had seen Phillip reach across and slap Chloe, she had actually felt sorry for her nemesis. Especially when she heard Chloe forgive him. 

As soon as she heard that, she knew that Chloe was slowly falling into the victim pattern. 

Jan knew it all to well. She had seen it all her life. Her father would get angry, hit her mother, and then he would be sorry about it and she would forgive him. 

Just like Chloe and Phillip. 

Jan didn't know why, but she knew that she couldn't stand back and watch it happen. 

She might not like Chloe, in fact she had set out to make her life a living Hell, but that one moment changed things. It set something off inside of Jan and for the first time, she knew she had to do the right thing. 

She knew that she had to help someone else. And that person just happened to be Ghoul Girl. 

Jan also knew that she could no longer go through with the OperaGirl.Net scheme. Not now, not when Chloe needed help so badly. 

Especially not when Jan was the one who wanted to give it to her.   
* * * * * 

"Chloe!" Chloe turned around at the sound of her name and was surprised to see Jan. 

"What do you want?" She demanded. "Because, you know, I'm really not in the mood to put up with you." 

"Chloe, I'm not here to bug you." Jan said quietly. "I want to help you." 

Chloe laughed outside. "Help me? You? Yeah and I'm the Queen of England." 

"I'm serious." Jan said quietly. "I know I haven't been very nice to you." 

Chloe raised an eyebrow at her. 

"Alright, I've made your life a living Hell." Jan amended. "And I still don't like you. But, I do want to help you." 

"Help me with what?" Chloe asked. 

"With Phillip." Jan said quietly. "Chloe, I know where your relationship is heading. I saw him slap you." 

"That was an accident." Chloe scoffed. "He didn't mean it." 

Jan smiled sadly. "They always say that, yet they keep on doing it." 

"How would you know?" Chloe asked. 

"My father's hit my mother for as long as I can remember." Jan said quietly. 

Chloe took in the words. If they were true, then that would explain a lot of things. Jan's rotten home life could be the reason she was such a bitch. _If_ she was telling the truth. With Jan, one could never be sure. 

"How do I know you're not lying?" Chloe asked. 

"You don't." Jan told her. "But if you'd like, you could come to my house some time. Just take one look at my Mom. She tries to hide it, but a few of her bruises always show." 

Chloe stared at her. "You'd honestly take me to your house?" 

"Sure." Jan told her. "If it'll make you believe I'm serious. I want to help you Chloe. I don't want you to become like my mother. I don't want _anyone_ to end up like that." 

"Even if you are telling the truth, it doesn't affect me." Chloe said. "Phillip's not abusive." 

"No." Jan said quietly. "But he's heading there. Chloe, he's got all the warning asides. He's jealous, possessive, his temper is easily provoked. And just look at what happened in Dot.Com. He's a ticking time bomb, just waiting to explode." 

Chloe took in Jan's words. "This is surreal. You helping me." 

"Yeah, well I feel the same way." Jan told her. "But I've told you my reasons. The question is, will you let me help you?" 

"I still don't think I need help." Chloe told her. "Phillip would never hurt me, not really." 

Jan rolled her eyes. "Of course not." She said sarcastically. "Chloe, I've heard it all before. Whether you want to believe it or not, your in trouble. Now, are you going to let me get you out of it?" 

Chloe sighed. She still wasn't a hundred percent sure that she could trust Jan, but she'd try. "Does this mean a truce?" 

"I guess so." Jan told her. 

Chloe nodded. "God, this is weird." 

"It really is." Jan said. "But strange things happen." 

"I guess so." Chloe said, looking at her former enemy and her now... Well, she didn't know what to call it, but whatever it was, it was the beginning of a strange relationship. 

Chloe knew that much.   
* * * * *


	13. Part Thirteen

Let Down the Walls   
By Misha 

_Author's Notes- This part is short, but I think it works. This came to me suddenly and I wanted to get it all out, so here it is. Another twist. I hope you like it._

**Part Thirteen**

After Jan left, Chloe stood on the sidewalk for a minute wondering what to do. 

She needed to let it all out... She knew that, but... Since she had moved to Salem, the pier had been her sanctuary, yet... 

Yet, deep down, she knew that she needed to go to the one person she knew she could always trust, who would never hurt her. 

So, without even thinking about it, she ran to the Brady house and when she got there and rang the bell, Shawn answered the door. 

"Lee." He said in surprise, then he froze, obviously taking in the red mark on her cheek from where Phillip had slapped her. 

"He hit you." He said quietly, dangerously. 

Chloe couldn't deny it, she just nodded. 

Shawn swore under his breath and then took her into his arms. 

"It's okay." He whispered, holding her against him. "He won't hurt you again. Not while I'm here." 

"I know." Chloe said softly. "You're my knight in shining armour." 

Shawn smiled. "Thanks. Do you want to go upstairs and talk?" 

Chloe nodded, so they did so, after Shawn yelled to Hope that Chloe was there. 

"What happened?" Shawn asked as soon as they were alone in his room. 

Chloe told him all of it, including the part about Jan. 

"Damn." Shawn swore. "Lee, he's getting out of control. I mean, you must see how crazy his jealousy is now." 

"Jan said something similar." Chloe said quietly. "But I don't know if I should trust her." 

"She's telling the truth about her parents, if that means anything." Shawn said. "I mean, I've seen the bruises on her Mom. I think the whole town knows, but since Mrs. Spears always denies it, there's nothing anyone can do." 

"So you think that she really wants to help me?" Chloe asked. 

Shawn nodded. "I do. I mean, I know it sounds strange. But I think that this is Jan's one weak spot and that she really does want to help you." 

"I guess," Chloe said, "but I'm not sure I need help. Shawn, it was a fluke, he won't do it again. You know Phillip." 

"I though I did." Shawn said quietly. "But... Lee, he's been changing lately. He's different now." 

"I don't know what to do." Chloe sobbed. "I love him." 

"I know." Shawn soothed, pulling her into arms. "Maybe, you're right, and there's nothing to worry about. Maybe it really was a one time thing, but promise me you'll be careful." 

Chloe nodded. "I will." 

"Good." Shawn told her. "And remember, no matter what happens, I'm here for you. Always." 

"I know." Chloe told him, smile slightly. "You're my knight in shining armour who'll be there to rescue me. Even if Prince Charming turns out to be a jerk and the clock is about to strike midnight and end the fairytale I've been living the past few months, I know I'll always have you." 

"You will." Shawn told her, looking into her eyes. 

As she met his eyes, something happened. Suddenly they were moving together and their lips met in a gentle kiss. 

For a moment, everything was perfect. Chloe felt more wonderful than she ever had before. She felt so alive, yet so safe. She knew that Shawn would never hurt her and it felt so good to feel his lips against her. 

Then, suddenly, the moment ended and the spell was over. 

"Lee..." Shawn said quietly. 

Chloe just stared at him. She couldn't believe what had just happened. 

She had kissed Shawn. It had felt so right, but... 

She couldn't deal with it. Not right now. In one day everything she knew had changed and she couldn't cope with it all. 

Not the scary new side of Phillip that she had suddenly been exposed to. Not Jan's sudden change of heart. And not this change in her relationship with Shawn. 

It was just too much for her to bear. 

So she did the only thing she could think of. 

She ran.   
* * * * *


	14. Part Fourteen

Let Down the Walls   
By Misha 

_Author's Notes- Like the last one, this part's pretty short as well, but I want to speed the time line up and there were things I had to cover first. Well, that's all for now, enjoy!_

**Part Fourteen**

He kissed Chloe. 

That thought kept running through Shawn's mind. He couldn't believe it. 

He and Chloe were friends, nothing more. But, Shawn wasn't sure if that's what he wanted any more. 

When he had kissed her... It had been magic. It had been unlike any other kiss in his life. It had been perfect. 

Until she ran away. 

Yet, he knew why she did that. He understood that she must be overwhelmed with everything that was happening and that the kiss was adding to the confusion, but... 

He wondered how she felt about it. If she regretted it. He had to know. He had to know if there was some chance... 

Before, he would have said no. But now... Now things were different. Phillip had turned out to be a complete jerk. 

Shawn couldn't believe that Phillip had been his best friend for so long, he wanted to kill him now. How dare he hit Chloe, or any woman for that matter? 

Whatever Chloe said, Shawn knew that Jan was right and that Phillip was quickly becoming dangerous. 

He just hoped that Chloe realised that soon. Even if she didn't want to be with him, he was still her best friend and he'd do anything for her. And he couldn't stand the thought of her being hurt. 

In fact, he'd do anything to prevent it.   
* * * * * 

Chloe wasn't surprise to hear a knock on her door a few hours later. She knew that it was either Phillip or Shawn coming to talk. 

She wasn't sure which one would be better, but she knew that she'd rather see Shawn. She gave a silent prayer of thanks when she saw that her wish had been granted. 

"Shawn." She said softly. "Come in." 

"Thanks." He told her. "We need to talk." 

"We do." Chloe agreed. "But not here." 

Shawn nodded and the two walked up the stairs to her bedroom. Once they were there, they both sat down on the bed. 

"I'm sorry I ran out like that." Chloe said softly. 

Shawn smiled. "I know. I understand that you must have felt over-whelmed." 

"Yeah." Chloe agreed. "Shawn, I liked the kiss. I really did, it... It was magical." 

"It was." Shawn agreed, looking deep into her eyes. 

"But," Chloe continued softly, "I can't deal with it. Not right now. There's so much other stuff going on." 

"I understand." Shawn said, taking her hand in his and squeezing it gently. "Lee, I know that things are hectic right now and I'm willing to wait on anything other than friendship until your ready to decide whether that's what you want. Until then, I'll just be your best friend." 

"Thank you." Chloe whispered. 

"Anytime." Shawn told her. "You mean the world to me, Lee. I'd do anything for you. And if that means being just your friend, even if maybe I'd like to be more, then I'll do it." 

"I don't know what I did to deserve you." Chloe said softly. 

"You showed me the real Chloe Lane." Shawn told her. "And I'll always be grateful that you trusted me enough to show me the person behind all those walls you erected." 

"Of course I did." Chloe told him with a smile. "You're the best, most wonderful person I know. Who else could I trust to ever hurt me?" 

Shawn's face grew cloudy. "Not Phillip, obviously." 

"Shawn," Chloe placed her hand on his shoulder, "promise me you won't go after him." 

"Lee..." He protested. 

"Promise me." She insisted. 

He sighed. "Alright. I'll leave it alone, for now. But if he touches you again, I'm gonna make him regret it."   
* * * * *


	15. Part Fifteen

Let Down the Walls   
By Misha 

_Author's Notes- This part's mostly reflection. I've moved the timeline up a bit and now I'm explaining what has happened. And I also let you see what is going on in some of the character's minds, because the relationships are starting to shift slowly. I'm planning on having some big huge soon and the shifting relationships are going to be one of the causes. You'll see what I mean. Well, that's all for now. Enjoy._

**Part Fifteen**

_Six Weeks Later_

"You've been spending a lot of time with Jan lately." Belle commented to Chloe one day as they were shopping for dresses for the Last Blast. 

Chloe shrugged. "So?" 

"So?" Belle repeated. "Chloe, she's made your life miserable ever since you came to Salem!" 

"We called a truce." Chloe explained patiently. "And deep down, she's not that bad. She just has issues. We all do." 

"That still doesn't explain your new found friendliness." Belle argued. 

"She's been helping me deal with some stuff." Chloe said softly. 

Belle felt hurt. Chloe was going to _Jan_ for advice instead of her? Why? 

Chloe must have seen her look, for she hurried to explain. "Belle, it doesn't mean anything. She just knows what I'm going through. She's been there." 

"But why would you go to her?" Belle asked. 

"She came to me." Chloe told her. "She saw what I was going through and knew that she could help me, so she did." 

"That doesn't sound like Jan." Belle commented. 

Chloe shrugged. "Everybody has more than one side to them." 

Belle watched Chloe for a moment. She was so distant now a days. Belle knew that their friendship was changing, that it wasn't close as it used to be and that hurt. 

Since Chloe had moved to Salem, she and Belle had been really close, but now... Now that was different. Now, Belle felt that she was losing her best friend. 

_Make that best friends._ Belle corrected silently. 

Chloe wasn't the only one who had changed. So had Shawn. Belle and Shawn had had a close friendship for years, yet suddenly that had changed. Shawn was suddenly more distant and Belle could sense that there were a lot of things that he didn't tell her anymore. 

She wondered what was wrong, but she couldn't figure it out. All she knew, was that things were changing, and she didn't like it. 

She wanted things to go back to the way they used to be.   
* * * * * 

"How was shopping with Belle?" Jan asked later as she and Chloe were sitting in Jan's bedroom doing homework. 

Chloe shrugged. "It was okay. I think Belle's a little upset over how much time we're spending together." 

"I can understand that." Jan told her. "After all, you are her best friend and now you're suddenly spending more time with me than you are with her." 

"Yeah. I guess, I haven't thought about that." Chloe said quietly. "But I think she's also upset that I won't explain **why** we spend so much time together." 

"Why not?" Jan asked. 

Chloe sighed. "I don't know. I guess I'm just not comfortable talking about it. Besides, I'm not sure how she'd react to it all." 

A lot had happened in the six weeks since the incident at Dot.Com. 

First of all, Chloe had learned a lot about Jan Spears and why she was such a bitch. While, they still had differences, they're uneasy truce was becoming more. Chloe discovered that there was a part of Jan, buried deep inside, that was actually likable. 

And since Jan had stopped her crusade against Chloe, so had everyone else who still called her 'ghoul girl'. For the first time since she had come to Salem, her school life was fairly peaceful. 

Chloe knew that both Jason and Mimi, as well as her friends, were disturbed about her new relationship with Jan, but they more or less respected it. 

When Jan became civil to her, so did Jason, and even Mimi grudgingly became nicer to her. 

Though, Chloe could see that Mimi was probably even more upset over her new bond with Jan than Belle was. After all, in Mimi's eyes, this was the second friend of hers that Chloe had 'stolen'. 

Still, Chloe ignored Mimi and concentrated on the purpose of the truce. Jan was helping her realise how unhealthy her relationship with Phillip had gotten. 

Though, it had been better since the incident at Dot.Com. Phillip hadn't laid a hand on her since and was actually going out of his way to apologise, but... 

Chloe knew that there were still problems in the relationship. Phillip's temper and jealous streak were still there and Chloe knew that it was highly likely that they would explode again. 

Which was why she had made a pact to herself that if he hit her again, or even if his possessiveness got out of control, she'd break it off. 

A part of her wanted to anyway, but she knew that she owed it to Phillip to give it a chance. He had been her Prince Charming for so long. He had gone out of his way to make her feel special and loved, how could she leave him without giving him another chance? 

After all, they had been so much together, she owed him that much at least. 

Still, she wasn't sure that was what she wanted anymore. She wasn't sure that _Phillip_ was what she wanted any more. 

When Shawn had kissed her... She had never felt like that. 

Not even back when she and Phillip had first gotten together. The first months of her relationship with Phillip had been a fairy tale come true, but with Shawn... When she had kissed him it had felt perfect. Like this was what was meant to be. As if **they** were what was meant to be. 

_No, I can't think like that._ She told herself. _Not yet anyway. I have to give things between me and Phillip a chance first._

Deep down she knew that she wanted to be with Shawn, but... But, she couldn't be. Not right now, she owed Phillip too much loyalty for that. 

Regardless of what Jan and Shawn both said.   
* * * * * 

Phillip watched in disgust as Jan and Chloe entered Dot.Com together. He couldn't understand why his girlfriend insisted on spending time with her former hated enemy and much to his annoyance, she wouldn't tell him. 

"It's just some me stuff." She told him quietly whenever he asked. "It doesn't concern you." 

Didn't concern him? Of course it did. If it was about her, then of course it concerned him. 

He loved her, he wanted to know everything that was going on in her life, why didn't she understand that? 

But that wasn't what bugged him the most. No, that was the look she got sometimes, a light in her eyes that wasn't for him. And he was almost certain that another guy was responsible for it. 

Phillip knew that his jealousy was unreasonable sometimes, but this time he was sure of it. There was something going on in Chloe's life and it involved another guy. 

Phillip just had to find out who and he'd make him pay for messing with his girl. 

Boy, would he make him pay.   
* * * * * 

To Be Continued...


	16. Part Sixteen

Let Down the Walls   
By Misha 

_Author's Notes- Okay this chapter is mainly filler, next up: The Last Blast. I can guarantee that a lot's going to happen. This chapter just kind of sets it up, you'll see what I mean. That's all for now, enjoy!_

**Part Sixteen**

"Are you excited about the Last Blast?" Jan asked Chloe as they entered Dot.Com. 

Chloe laughed. "Yeah, 'cause the last one made such an impression. You know, with the chicken blood and all." 

"I really am sorry about that." Jan said quietly and she meant it. 

In the last few weeks, she had come to see just how horrible her behaviour had been. Chloe was helping her as much as she was helping Chloe, she had realized a few weeks before. 

And Jan had realized how despicable the whole OperaGirl.net scheme really was and she was disgusted that she had even thought it up. 

Still, she hadn't changed totally, but enough that she realized how much of a bitch she had been and that she was trying to change it. 

"Prince Charming is glaring over at us." Jan commented, rolling her eyes. 

Chloe sighed. "I should go over to him." 

Jan just sighed. Chloe was starting to clue in, but... She still seemed to think that she owed Phillip something, even though Jan tried to convince her otherwise. 

Jan nodded. "Go, I'll see you later." 

Chloe smiled. "Thanks." 

Then she headed over to where Phillip was. 

Jan watched them, wondering when Chloe was finally going to get a clue. Soon, she hoped, but unfortunately, she couldn't be sure. 

After all, it all depended on Chloe...   
* * * * * 

Shawn picked up the phone. At Chloe's urging he had decided to ask Belle to the Last Blast. He didn't have a date and Chloe told him that Belle didn't either, so it made sense that the two of them go together. 

Shawn wasn't sure it was that great of an idea, but in the end he had given in. After all, he and Belle were friends. 

Still, he didn't even really want to go to the dance, he was only going so that he could keep an eye on Chloe and Phillip. He doubted that Phillip would do anything to hurt her, but he wanted to be on guard just in case... 

Just then, someone picked up on the other end of the phone. "Hello?" 

"Hey Belle." Shawn said, pushing his thoughts about Chloe and Phillip aside. He'd worry about that later. 

"Shawn?" Belle asked, sounding surprised. 

"Yeah, I was wondering, do you want to go to the Last Blast with me?" 

Belle was silent for a minute. "I'd love to." She said finally. 

"Cool." Shawn answered. "What time should I pick you up?" 

"Seven." Belle told him. "Chloe and I are getting ready together, and that's what time Phillip is picking her up." 

"Sounds good." Shawn told her. "I'll talk to you later." 

"Okay." Belle agreed, before hanging up. 

Shawn put down the receiver and stared at it for a moment. He had a feeling that something was going to happen at the Last Blast, he just didn't know what it was and what the consequences would be.   
* * * * * 

"I'm picking you up at Belle's at seven, right?" Phillip asked as he walked Chloe to her door later that evening. 

"Right." Chloe told him. 

"Will Brady be there?" Phillip asked, a hidden edge in his voice. 

"No." Chloe told him. "Belle talked him into escorting Mimi, so I'm betting that he'll be picking her up for the dance." 

"Mimi's not getting ready with you and Belle?" Phillip asked. 

"No." Chloe told him. "She and I are civil to each other now, but we're in no way friends, so she's getting ready at Jan's." 

"I'm surprised you're not." Phillip commented dryly. "After all, you and Jan are best friends now." 

"Phillip." Chloe warned softly. 

Philip sighed. "I know. It's just, after everything she put you through, how can you be friends with her?" 

"You know, some people might say the same thing about my relationship with you." Chloe commented softly, before she turned and went inside. 

Phillip watched her go, wondering if she was right.   
* * * * * 


	17. Part Seventeen

Let Down the Walls   
By Misha 

_Author's Notes- I know that I said this part would deal with the Last Blast, but I decided to skip over the dance. Instead, this takes place right after the dance. This part came to me suddenly and I think it works. It's pretty heavy as everything comes to a climax. Well, that's all for now, enjoy!_

**Part Seventeen**

Chloe sighed as she followed Phillip into the Kiriakis cabin. 

After the dance, the group of them had decided to have an all-nighter. Since everyone was now getting along, at least marginally, Jan, Jason, Mimi, and Brady were there along with Shawn, Belle, Chloe, and Phillip. 

Chloe had the sinking feeling that this was a disaster waiting to happen, but she had no idea what do besides go along with it. 

To be fair, the dance had gone well. There had been no disasters, no chicken blood or anything else equally horrific. It had been just a dance. 

Everyone had had a good time and now they were going to hang out, and hopefully have fun. 

Still, Chloe couldn't help but feel that disaster was coming. 

_I'm just being a worry wart._ She assured herself. _It'll be fine. Nothing will happen._

After pushing her doubts aside, Chloe took a seat on the couch next to Phillip, who wrapped his arm around her. 

"So what now?" Belle asked. 

"Truth or dare!" Mimi and Jason said at the same time. 

Everyone else rolled their eyes. 

"Um no." Chloe answered. "I don't think so." 

"Why, got secrets to hide?" Mimi asked with a malicious grin. 

"No, it's just that I'm not in elementary school in anymore." Chloe shot back. 

"Come on," Belle said, trying to be the peacemaker as always. "It'll be fun." 

"Yeah, come on." Phillip persuaded. 

Chloe sighed. "Whatever." 

Shawn and Brady murmured similar consent and Jan simply nodded, rolling her eyes as she did so. 

Mimi's eyes lit up. "Cool. I get to go first." She looked around the room, obviously trying to decide who to make her victim. "Shawn, truth or dare?" 

"Truth." He said after a moment. 

"Have you ever fallen in love?" Mimi asked. 

Shawn was quiet for a moment. "Yes." He said finally. 

It took all of Chloe's willpower not to stare at him. Was he talking about her? Had he fallen in love with her, or with someone else? 

_It doesn't matter._ A voice in her head told her. _You're with Phillip, remember?_

Chloe bit her lip and tried to listen to the voice. After all, it was true. 

"Brady, truth or dare?" Shawn asked, shaking Chloe out of her thoughts. 

"Dare." Brady answered. 

Shawn was quiet for a moment. "I dare you to kiss the girl of your choice for 30 seconds." 

Chloe saw Phillip's eyes blaze with anger and kept her hand on his arm, trying to calm him down. 

To her relief, it wasn't her that Brady went up to, but Jan. 

Chloe tell that everyone was stunned by Brady's choice, including Jan. 

She stared at him in shock. "What did you do that for?" 

"Impulse." He told her with a grin, then he turned to Chloe. "Truth or dare?" 

Chloe considered her options carefully. She didn't want to choice dare, after all she didn't want to risk having to do something that would set Phillip off, but... At the same time, she wasn't exactly eager to share information about herself. 

"Truth." She said finally, deciding that that was the lesser of the two evils. 

She was wrong. 

"Have you ever kissed any one other than Phillip?" 

Chloe bit her lip. Damn. This was bad. After a long, painful moment, she nodded. "Yes." 

Phillip turned to stare at her. "What?" He asked in a low, dangerous voice. "I thought you said that I was your first kiss?" 

"You were." Chloe said softly, realizing that everything was crumbling right before her eyes and that she didn't know how to stop it. 

Phillip's temper exploded. 

"What?! That means... Who was it?" He demanded, putting his hands on her shoulders and shaking her. "Who did you cheat on me with?" 

Chloe could feel Jan and Shawn watching her carefully, waiting to see what her next move would be, while everyone else just watched in a mixture of fascination and horror. 

Chloe tried to say something, but she couldn't. The words just wouldn't come out of her mouth. 

"Who was it?!" Phillip demanded again. 

"Answer me!" He demanded, raising his hand to slap her. 

Chloe just stared at him with tears in her blue eyes. She had promised herself that if Phillip hit her again, then she'd end it. 

But... Now, that it was happening, she didn't know if she could. All she could think about as she prepared for the slap was that everything was falling apart. 

In her mind she kept seeing all the happy times she had shared with Phillip. She had loved him so much. He had been what she had always dreamed of. It was like a fairy tale come true. He was her Prince Charming who had swept off her feet and made her fall in love with him. 

But now, now it was falling apart. It was all crumbling away as if it had never existed and she didn't know what to do. 

She still loved him. Deep down, despite her feelings for Shawn, she still loved Phillip and it broke her heart that things had turned out like this. At that moment she would have given anything to go back in time. Back to when she and Phillip were happy and things seemed so perfect. 

In her mind, the good times kept playing, and then the feel of his palm against her cheek broke the spell. She stared at him with blue eyes full of tears, wondering what had happened to the Phillip she had fallen in love with. 

The moment his hand connected with her face, it was obvious that Phillip realized what he had done and his anger evaporated. 

"Chloe." He whispered. "I'm so sorry." 

Chloe just stared at him, not sure what to say. 

But before she could think of something. Shawn had jumped up and had slugged Phillip in the jaw. 

"Shawn!" Belle screamed. 

"No one hurts Chloe." He told Phillip softly, dangerously, ignoring Belle. "Not when I'm around." 

Chloe could see the light go on in Phillip's head. 

"Oh my God." He whispered, staring at Shawn and Chloe in disbelief. "It's you. You and Chloe." 

"He and Chloe what?" Belle asked, uncomprehendingly. 

Everyone else just stared at them, watching the events that were unfolding. 

"Shawn and Chloe, they've been seeing each other behind everyone's backs." Phillip said flatly. 

"That's not true!" Chloe denied. "We only kissed once, it was an accident. We're just friends." 

"Are we?" Shawn asked quietly, looking deep into her eyes. 

Belle finally seemed to get it. "Shawn, Oh, God, it's Chloe, isn't it? She's the one you fell in love with." 

"Yes." Shawn said, his eyes still glued to Chloe. 

Everyone was silent, all too stunned to speak. 

Chloe looked around her. Phillip was staring at her, his anger had turned to shock and betrayal. Belle's eyes portrayed the same emotions. 

Chloe didn't bother looking at Jan, Jason, Mimi, or Brady, because she honestly didn't care what they thought. Not now. 

But Shawn... Shawn's eyes were too complex for her to take in right now. 

Suddenly it was all too much for her to take in. She couldn't handle it. 

So, she did the only thing she could think of. She stood up and ran out of the cabin as fast as she could, not sure where she was going. 

All she knew was that she needed to escape.   
* * * * * 


	18. Part Eighteen

Let Down the Walls   
By Misha 

_Author's Notes- This part begins to deal with the aftermath of the last part. There's no Chloe in this one, it focuses on Shawn and the others. In the next parts we'll delve deeper into how everyone deals with what happened. In this part, things basically get explained. Well, that's all for now, enjoy!_

**Part Eighteen**

Everyone stared after Chloe as she raced out of the cabin. 

"Well, well," Mimi drawled sarcastically, "isn't that classic Chloe? Destroy everyone's lives and then run away." 

"Shut up Mimi!" Everyone in the room except Jason said at once. 

Mimi rolled her eyes. "You know, I can tell I'm not wanted. I'll be in the kitchen." 

"I'll join you." Jason said, following her out of the living room and leaving the others to themselves. 

"What was that?" Brady asked after a minute. "What just happened?" 

"I'd like to know that myself." Phillip said in a low voice. He looked at Shawn accusingly. "What the Hell is going on with you and Chloe? I thought you were my friend?! How can you swoop in and steal my girl!" 

"I never stole her!" Shawn denied. "You threw her away. Besides, let's face it, you never knew the real Chloe Lane. You hated her up until the Last Blast and that little red dress and even after you guys got together, you never got to know the real Chloe." 

"What do you mean by that?" Phillip demanded. 

"I mean you don't really know her, you never have." Shawn told her. 

"And you do?" Phillip asked skeptically. 

"Better than you." Shawn told him. "I have a quick question for you, what's Chloe's favourite song and why?" 

"Something from Madame Butterfly." Phillip said. 

"Wrong." Shawn told him, he turned to Belle and Brady. "Either of you want to make a guess?" 

Belle just stood there still looking shocked and betrayed. "Something operatic." She said finally. 

Brady just shrugged and didn't say anything. 

"Wrong again." Shawn said. 

"Well, then, why don't you fill us in on the real answer?" Phillip asked caustically. 

"Ruby Tuesday by the Rolling Stones." Jan said flatly before Shawn could answer. "I don't know why though." 

Shawn stared at her for a minute and then nodded. "She's right." 

The other three stared at him. 

"You've got to be kidding me, right?" Phillip asked incredulously. "Chloe hates rock." 

"No, she doesn't." Shawn told him firmly. "In fact, she's got an impressive collection of classic rock. She grew up on it. Her adoptive parents loved and they passed that love onto her. It reminds her of them, that's why she only listens to it when she's alone or with someone she really trusts." 

"And she trusts you?" Brady asked skeptically. 

Phillip just stood there. 

"Once, when I went to her place... I could hear a Stones' song in the background." He said after a moment, his voice soft. "She told me it was just the radio. She was lying, wasn't she?" 

"Yes." Shawn told him bluntly, deciding that although this was a time for the secrets to come out that there were some secrets that needed to remain hidden. So, he chose not to mention that he was in the room at the time. "The Stones are her favourite band and if you're wondering why Ruby Tuesday is her favourite song, it's because her adoptive father used to sing it to her when she was little." 

"How did you know?" Belle demanded of Jan, her voice voice of hurt and anger. 

"My brother was playing it once when she was over and she started singing along." Jan explained. "I called her on it and she told me the truth, that it was one of her favourites." 

Belle looked like she was about to cry. 

Shawn felt sorry for her, but didn't know what he could do to help her. Besides, right now, he had bigger things on his mind. He had to clear things up here once and for all, then he'd go after Chloe. 

"What I want to know is what's up with you and the diva?" Brady said finally. "What are you two hiding?" 

"A friendship." Shawn said after a moment. "A few months ago, I learnt something pretty awful and I needed someone to talk to. I couldn't go to any of yous, so I went to Chloe. She listened to me and then, to cheer me up, she suggested playing some rock. That's when I learnt that she liked it. After that, we got really close. We were able to talk to each other about things that we couldn't tell anyone else." 

"Why keep it a secret?" Brady asked when everyone else remained silent. 

"I know why." Jan stated flatly. "Phillip." 

"Yes." Shawn confirmed. "Chloe was terrified of Phillip's temper and what he would do if he found out, so we kept it a secret." 

Phillip looked shocked at the revelation. 

"Oh, God." He whispered. 

Shawn realized that the full extent of his behaviour was beginning to sink in for him, but he didn't really feel sympathetic. Phillip had brought this mess all on his own. It was about time he saw what he had done. 

"But you kissed." Belle said softly, looking at him with large eyes, silently begging him to deny it. 

"Yes." Shawn said again. "But Chloe was telling the truth. It was only that once. It was the night that Philip hit her. She ran to me for comfort and it just happened. But nothing else happened, even though I wanted it too. Chloe was adamant. She didn't want to hurt Phillip, she owed him too much she said." 

Shawn looked at Phillip in contempt. "I called her crazy. Said that she didn't owe him any loyalty after what he had done to her, but she wouldn't listen. She said that it wouldn't happen again. She had faith in him. Even though she shouldn't have." 

Phillip flinched at Shawn's angry words, but he didn't make any move to deny them. 

"Did you know?" Belle suddenly demanded of Jan. "Did you know that this was happening?" 

"Not really." Jan told her. "I mean I knew about Phillip, I was even rooting for her to dump him. But as for the Shawn thing, I thought something might be going on. But did I know for sure? No." 

Shawn looked around the room. 

Brady had detached himself from the scene and was now just watching, Belle still looked shell-shocked, Phillip looked as if it was all finally sinking in, and Jan was standing there, tapping her foot, obviously wondering what would happen next. 

Shawn didn't know, but he did know that things would never be the same after what had happened that night. He didn't really care. Things had been the same for a while. The only difference was that now, everyone knew it. 

"I'm going." He said after a moment. "I'm going after Chloe." 

"Of course you are." Belle muttered bitterly. 

Shawn ignored her as he turned towards the door. 

"Shawn, wait." Phillip said suddenly. 

Shawn turned around. "What?" 

Phillip was silent for a minute. There were obviously a lot of things he wanted to say, but he didn't know which would be best. 

"Take care of her." He said finally, looking Shawn straight in the eye. 

Shawn understood. 

Phillip was coming to terms with what he had done. He had realized just how out of control his temper had gotten and the cost that it would have. Shawn could tell that Phillip knew it was over with Chloe, that this time there was nothing he could do to fix it. 

Shawn nodded. "I will." 

Phillip didn't say anything else and Shawn turned and left without looking back.   
* * * * * 


	19. Part Nineteen

Let Down the Walls   
By Misha 

_Author's Notes- This part is solely Chloe and focuses on her thoughts on what happened. It's mainly reflective as Chloe reflects on her feelings. The next part will contain some Shloe though. Well, that's all for now, enjoy!_

**Part Nineteen**

After she ran from the cabin. Chloe didn't know where to go, so she walked up towards the stream behind the cabin. 

She sat down on a big rock and just stared at the sky. 

It was almost laughable the way her life had fallen apart. It had been so perfect... Or at least it seemed like it was. 

She and Phillip... It had worked, but now... Now it was gone. 

She knew that they could never have that back, not even if she wanted to. And strangely enough, she did. 

It felt so weird knowing that it was over. That they would never be together again and the memories were there once more. All the wonderful times they had shared... 

Without even noticing it, she began to sing "I Need You." After all, it was their song. 

_"I don«t need a lot of things I can get by with nothing But of all the blessings life can bring I«ve always needed something"_

It had been so brief. Her and Phillip. But, at the same time, it had been good. 

Until the end. 

She didn't even know when it happened, when her sweet, lovable boyfriend had turned into someone she didn't know. 

Because if she knew anything, it was that the person inside the cabin wasn't the Phillip she had fallen in love with. 

Tears began to fall down her face as she continued sing. Tears for what used to be. 

_"But I«ve got all I want when it comes to loving you   
You«re my only reason   
You«re my only truth"_

Chloe knew that more than her relationship with Phillip had ended. 

With one simple question, everything had changed. 

A part of her wished she had lied. Yet... She knew that it had to come out eventually. More than that, she was sick of lies, sick of hiding. 

She just wanted it out. And now it was. 

Now everyone knew and because of that everything would be different. 

_"I need you like water   
Like breathe like rain   
I need you like mercy from heavens gate   
There«s a freedom in your arms that carries me thru   
I need you"_

Chloe knew that her friendship with Belle would never be the same. 

But, then again, it hadn't been for months. Still, now it was out in the air, it was real. Her friendship was Belle had taken a major hit and Chloe didn't know if it could be revived. 

She didn't even know if she cared. But she also knew that her and Belle's friendship wasn't the only one in jeopardy. 

Shawn and Phillip had been best friends their entire lives and because of her they had been torn apart. She doubted that their friendship would ever be the way it was and she was honestly sorry about that. 

She was sorry that she had caused those around her pain. 

_"You«re the hope that moves me   
To courage again (oh yeah)   
You«re the love that rescues me   
When the cold winter rage"_

The tears continued to fall as Chloe thought about the fallout of that one simple question. 

But deep down she knew that what had happened had happened a long time ago. The only difference was now everyone knew it. 

Maybe that was better. Maybe not. 

She didn't know anything. All she knew was that even though it had been bad for a while, her heart was breaking at the end of her relationship with Phillip. 

No matter what else happened, she had loved him and she knew a part of her would always love him. Despite the ending, for a while it had been really good and she'd never forget that. 

_"And its so amazing cause that«s just how you are   
And I can«t turn back now   
Cause you«ve brought me too far"_

As she sang, she remembered the beginning. 

She remembered the first time she heard this song. It was hard to believe that it was only a year ago. That it had also started one year before. 

And now... Now it was over. She and Phillip were over. She knew that. She knew that what happened tonight had been their end. 

That they could never work past it and deep down, she didn't want to. 

What she had felt for Phillip, it was magic. It had been **so** good, but it had started dying long before what had happened that night. 

It had began to die even before that night at Dot.Com. 

It had begun dying the first night she had let Shawn into the world that she had denied Phillip. When Shawn became the person she trusted more than anything. 

When Shawn replaced Phillip as the centre of her world. 

_"I need you like water   
Like breathe like rain   
I need you like mercy from heavens gate   
There«s a freedom in your arms that carries me thru   
I need you (oh yes I do)"_

Shawn, God, where did they go from here? 

A part of her wanted to see what they could be. To see how good things could be between them, but... Was it the right time? 

Things with Phillip had just officially ended. Was it really wise to rush into a relationship? Even one that had been building for a long time? 

She just wasn't sure. There was too much happening for her to be able to think straight right now. 

_"I need you like water   
Like breathe like rain   
I need you like mercy from heavens gate   
There«s a freedom in your arms and it carries me thru   
I need you (oh yes I do)"_

As Chloe finished singing, the tears were falling freely down her face. 

God, how complicated it all was right now. She had never felt more confused, but more that she felt terribly sad as well. It hurt to know that her first love had just ended. 

Just then, she heard someone behind her. She wondered who could have followed her. She turned around, a sinking feeling in her heart. 

She wasn't sure she was ready to face anyone right now, especially not Phillip and Belle. 

When she saw who it was, she sniffled and then ran into his arms, burying her head in his shoulder. "Shawn."   
* * * * * 


	20. Part Twenty

Let Down the Walls   
By Misha 

_Author's Notes- Guess what folks? This is it. The last part of "Let Down the Walls". It just seemed the right place to end it. However, I am thinking of writing a sequel, tell me what you think, please. Also, I'd like to thank everyone who has sent me feedback on this story. It means a lot to me that you've enjoyed it. Thank you so much for reading "Let Down the Walls", I hope you've liked the experience. Well, that's all, enjoy!_

**Part Twenty**

"I'm here." Shawn whispered, taking Chloe in his arms. "I'll always be here for you." 

"I know." She told him. "But where do we go from here?" 

"Where do you want us to go?" He asked gently. 

"I don't know." She told him. "I had so much invested in Phillip and now that's over. I don't know what happens now." 

She pulled away from him and sat back down on the rock. "Since I've come to Salem, I've been two things, Ghoul Girl and Phillip Kiriakis' girlfriend. Now I'm neither. The question is, what else is there?" 

"There's Chloe Lane." Shawn told her, sitting down beside her. He cupped her face in his hands and looked deep into her blue eyes. "Chloe, you don't have to hide behind an image. You can be yourself. I mean you're the most amazing girl I've ever met, why would you want to hide that?" 

"I don't know." She told him honestly. "But I think I know now that I don't have to." 

"No," Shawn told her, "you don't. You don't have to hide anymore." 

"With you, I don't." She said with a smile. "I've never felt so safe before as I do when I'm with you." 

She sighed, running her hands through her dark hair. 

"I think that's what went wrong with Phillip and I." She confessed. "The fact I really loved him, but... When I was with him, I was never really me. I hid from the pain of my past, I never let him know the real me. I was too afraid I'd get hurt. That's not the way a relationship should be." 

"No, it's not." Shawn agreed. 

"I'm scared, Shawn." Chloe said after a moment. "Everything always falls apart on me, why would this be any different?" 

He knew instinctively that she was talking about them, about the feelings that had been building between them for a long time. 

"I don't know." He told her honestly. "But I think it would be a good." 

"So do I." She told him. "It's just, I don't want to lose you. I don't think I could bare it." 

"You won't lose me." He promised. "I'll be here for you, no matter what happens between us." 

"I don't know." Chloe said finally. "I'm just so scared." 

"I know," Shawn told her, "and that's okay. It's alright to be scared. But you can't let fear run your life. If you do, you'll miss out on a lot of good things." 

"How do I know that this won't fall apart, like Phillip and I did?" Chloe asked him softly, standing up again. 

"You don't." Shawn told her, standing up as well. "You just have to have faith that this is real, that it'll last." 

"I don't know." She whispered. "Everything is so messed up right now." 

"I know." Shawn told her. "Tonight was crazy. But we both know it had to happen. That everything had to come out eventually." 

"I know." Chloe said. "I've just been dreading it for so long... What happened after I ran away?" 

"I told everyone how little they knew you." Shawn told them. "And I tore into Phillip." 

Chloe grimaced. "Oh. Shawn... He's not a bad guy..." 

"I know." Shawn assured her. "But, he has problems, and I think he's starting to see that. Besides, I think I got through to him. In the end, before I left, he told me to take care of you." 

"And you will." Chloe said with a trusting smile. 

"I'll try." Shawn told her. 

He took a deep breath, before taking her hands in his and looking into her eyes. 

"Chloe, I meant what I said in there. Somewhere along the line, I think I fell in love with you." He confessed. 

"I think I fell in love with you too." Chloe told him. "But I didn't want to." 

"I know." He told her. "I didn't want to love you either. Even though Phillip's behaviour has really irritated me and I think he acted like an idiot these last few months, he's still my friend and he's still family. I didn't want to betray him like that." 

"Phillip was the first person since my adoptive parents who really love me and who I loved back." Chloe confessed. "But... I know now that it wasn't a lasting love. It was a first love, a puppy love. It was there, it was beautiful, and then it was gone." 

"And what we have?" Shawn asked. 

"I don't know." She told him. "But... But even though I'm scared, I think I'd like to find out. Just... Can we take it slow?" 

"Of course we can." Shawn assured her. "We can take it as slow as you'd like, it's up to you Chloe." 

Chloe didn't say anything, she just smiled up at him. 

Shawn smiled back and then, bent his head and captured her lips with his. After a moment, she wrapped her arms around his neck and they stood there for a long time, locked in one another's arms. 

It was a beginning. 

Shawn knew that things between him and Chloe wouldn't be easy at first, especially not after tonight, but... He honestly believed that what they had was special enough to endure. 

No, he was positive, that this was just the beginning of something incredible. 

The End 


End file.
